A pre-Canon divergence that starts with Baby Prince Jaehaereys death 274 AC.
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A Maester in King's Landing
- Thread starter Kaiidth
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1. A Goldcloak talks
It was a hot Morning in King's Landing in the year 274 AC and for a man born and raised in the North it was a stifling weather. Longingly he thought back to Oldtown. There, at least, was the Citadel build for good temperature inside to protect the Books and Scrolls and the Breeze from the Sea brought always a fresh smell of Ocean and Salt and Seaweed and fish and fruits and Wine from the markets. Here in the City of the King, no breeze coming from the Backwater ever managed to get rid of the everything overlapping stink of shit and piss and sweat and overold fish and blood and Fear.
He had learned the Stink of Fear here, in King's Landing it was ever increasing but in the last couple of days it multiplied.
King Aerys, the second of his name, had the Wet Nurse of his son Jaehaerys beheaded after the boy died, not even a year old. The King that had seemed to get better and less mad when that boy was born, fell straight back into madness when the babe died. The Wet Nurse was only the first casualty of the ever growing madness of the violent and erratic King. Now it was whispered in the Streets of King's Landing that the Aerys suspected his latest mistress of being the one that was at fault for the young Prince's death and had her and her family brought into the Black Cells to be "questioned".
The Maester snorted and brought his thoughts back to the Patient he was just treating. This man of the City's Goldcloaks had deep scratches through his face after he and other Goldcloaks followed the Kings command and dragged the family of this mistress from their homes and brought them to the King's Keep. The Goldcloak liked to talk, telling of the torture of the unlucky mistress and her family and even of the Grandmaester Pycelle. The Maester stopped treating the deep scratch near the eye of the talkative Goldcloak.
"Are you just saying that the Grandmaester Pycelle is also in the Black Cells? Whatever for?"the Maester asked curiously.
The Goldcloak smirked with the unscratched side of his mouth and told that the mistress had admitted under torture that she and her family had killed the young Prince but that the poison was given to them by the Grandmaester Pycelle.
Maester Hother seriously doubted that the unlucky mistress or her family ever even planned anything like that, he remembered hearing in the Streets that the poor young woman had been really unhappy and afraid when the King had chosen her as latest mistress many months ago. He also doubted that Pycelle had anything to do with the death of little Jaehaerys. It was for a reason that the Old Gods and the New ones both had forbidden of brothers marrying sisters. Only few Targayens had ever understood that.
The Maester resumed his treatment of the Goldcloak silently while the man bragged away about being one of the men that made the Grandmaester scream and beg and that Pycelle tried to make them stop their torture of him by swearing that they all would be given loads of Gold by Lord Lannister. The Goldcloak chuckled while telling that. Maester Hother finished his work of cleaning all the scratches and sewing up the deeper ones and bid the still rambling Goldcloak to stand up from the Chair on which he was seated for the treatment.The Goldcloak was still smiling and chuckling as he was even through the whole cleaning and sewing up. The Maester narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, he was seldom as generous with his milk-of-the-poppy as he was with this Goldcloak but it paid off with all the new information.
The Goldcloak happily paid the few Copper Coins that Maester Hother charged and promised to follow the instructions of not laughing too much as to not tear open the stitching and to clean his face with clear and boiled water and to smear the scratches with the salve he received from the Maester.
Maester Hother shut the door behind the Goldcloak and then barricaded it. He stepped to the Stairs and went up to the upper floor of his little house. There was a single room, the same modest size of the room below and in it were ten big cages, each with a single Raven. He ignored them and went to the wall opposite of the stairs. A gentle push to the left corner of the tiny window there and the wooden panel on the Wall near the window gave away. Behind it was a narrow ladder which he climbed up to the hidden room above. The Maester had to stay bent in this room, it was barely more than half his height. He looked to the Ravens in this Room, free from Cages as they were. This night he would send news of the erratic behavior of Aerys with these Ravens, clear words to his home to be careful of the Madness of the South.
He smirked, remembering how his last letter to the home of his family was the reason that their Lord Warden got rid of his flowery and false spying Maester and now had a dependable friend of his as new Maester and new plans for his Children. He often thought of how his life would be different if he stayed in the Citadel for a life of learning after his own House and his Lord Warden managed to save him from punishment for his behavior with the Whore.
But his Lord Warden gave him only two options, to either come back to his home and stay there unfinished with his studies as he was or to finish and to become a Maester for real,but after making his Chain then to leave the Citadel and to go to the Capital and be the eyes and ears in the South.
That was what he since then decided to do.
He sent back home all rumors that had even a little bit truth in it, sent back to his Overlord all prices and trade news, the talks of the Nobles that he knew from treating their servants and was generally careful to never be suspected by anyone of doing so.
It was now easier, the flowery spy was gone and he did not have to send the more important rumors and truths first to his family for them to get behind the flowery back to their Overlord.
Now, with the new Maester in Winterfell, he could send everything directly to his Lord, without fear that people that should not knew about some things might get the informations.
He looked again to the free wandering Ravens. The ten below were for Oldtown and Lannisport, for Highgarden and the Eyrie, for Sunspear and Gulltown, for White Harbour and Seagard and for Storm's End and the Arbor. All places where the merchants send to and received news from about trade and more. The payment for the use of his Ravens was part of how he officially made his living. The Ravens here in this hidden Room though, they were for his own Correspondence with White Harbour and Castle Black, with the Mountain Clans and the Mormonts, with Winterfell and with his own familyhome. With the Last Hearth.
Tonight three of these six Ravens would fly, one to Castle Black and the other two to Winterfell and to his Brother.
...........
He had learned the Stink of Fear here, in King's Landing it was ever increasing but in the last couple of days it multiplied.
King Aerys, the second of his name, had the Wet Nurse of his son Jaehaerys beheaded after the boy died, not even a year old. The King that had seemed to get better and less mad when that boy was born, fell straight back into madness when the babe died. The Wet Nurse was only the first casualty of the ever growing madness of the violent and erratic King. Now it was whispered in the Streets of King's Landing that the Aerys suspected his latest mistress of being the one that was at fault for the young Prince's death and had her and her family brought into the Black Cells to be "questioned".
The Maester snorted and brought his thoughts back to the Patient he was just treating. This man of the City's Goldcloaks had deep scratches through his face after he and other Goldcloaks followed the Kings command and dragged the family of this mistress from their homes and brought them to the King's Keep. The Goldcloak liked to talk, telling of the torture of the unlucky mistress and her family and even of the Grandmaester Pycelle. The Maester stopped treating the deep scratch near the eye of the talkative Goldcloak.
"Are you just saying that the Grandmaester Pycelle is also in the Black Cells? Whatever for?"the Maester asked curiously.
The Goldcloak smirked with the unscratched side of his mouth and told that the mistress had admitted under torture that she and her family had killed the young Prince but that the poison was given to them by the Grandmaester Pycelle.
Maester Hother seriously doubted that the unlucky mistress or her family ever even planned anything like that, he remembered hearing in the Streets that the poor young woman had been really unhappy and afraid when the King had chosen her as latest mistress many months ago. He also doubted that Pycelle had anything to do with the death of little Jaehaerys. It was for a reason that the Old Gods and the New ones both had forbidden of brothers marrying sisters. Only few Targayens had ever understood that.
The Maester resumed his treatment of the Goldcloak silently while the man bragged away about being one of the men that made the Grandmaester scream and beg and that Pycelle tried to make them stop their torture of him by swearing that they all would be given loads of Gold by Lord Lannister. The Goldcloak chuckled while telling that. Maester Hother finished his work of cleaning all the scratches and sewing up the deeper ones and bid the still rambling Goldcloak to stand up from the Chair on which he was seated for the treatment.The Goldcloak was still smiling and chuckling as he was even through the whole cleaning and sewing up. The Maester narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, he was seldom as generous with his milk-of-the-poppy as he was with this Goldcloak but it paid off with all the new information.
The Goldcloak happily paid the few Copper Coins that Maester Hother charged and promised to follow the instructions of not laughing too much as to not tear open the stitching and to clean his face with clear and boiled water and to smear the scratches with the salve he received from the Maester.
Maester Hother shut the door behind the Goldcloak and then barricaded it. He stepped to the Stairs and went up to the upper floor of his little house. There was a single room, the same modest size of the room below and in it were ten big cages, each with a single Raven. He ignored them and went to the wall opposite of the stairs. A gentle push to the left corner of the tiny window there and the wooden panel on the Wall near the window gave away. Behind it was a narrow ladder which he climbed up to the hidden room above. The Maester had to stay bent in this room, it was barely more than half his height. He looked to the Ravens in this Room, free from Cages as they were. This night he would send news of the erratic behavior of Aerys with these Ravens, clear words to his home to be careful of the Madness of the South.
He smirked, remembering how his last letter to the home of his family was the reason that their Lord Warden got rid of his flowery and false spying Maester and now had a dependable friend of his as new Maester and new plans for his Children. He often thought of how his life would be different if he stayed in the Citadel for a life of learning after his own House and his Lord Warden managed to save him from punishment for his behavior with the Whore.
But his Lord Warden gave him only two options, to either come back to his home and stay there unfinished with his studies as he was or to finish and to become a Maester for real,but after making his Chain then to leave the Citadel and to go to the Capital and be the eyes and ears in the South.
That was what he since then decided to do.
He sent back home all rumors that had even a little bit truth in it, sent back to his Overlord all prices and trade news, the talks of the Nobles that he knew from treating their servants and was generally careful to never be suspected by anyone of doing so.
It was now easier, the flowery spy was gone and he did not have to send the more important rumors and truths first to his family for them to get behind the flowery back to their Overlord.
Now, with the new Maester in Winterfell, he could send everything directly to his Lord, without fear that people that should not knew about some things might get the informations.
He looked again to the free wandering Ravens. The ten below were for Oldtown and Lannisport, for Highgarden and the Eyrie, for Sunspear and Gulltown, for White Harbour and Seagard and for Storm's End and the Arbor. All places where the merchants send to and received news from about trade and more. The payment for the use of his Ravens was part of how he officially made his living. The Ravens here in this hidden Room though, they were for his own Correspondence with White Harbour and Castle Black, with the Mountain Clans and the Mormonts, with Winterfell and with his own familyhome. With the Last Hearth.
Tonight three of these six Ravens would fly, one to Castle Black and the other two to Winterfell and to his Brother.
...........
- Location
- UK
Nice set up, definitely interested. Watched 
2. The order to come to the Red Keep
A few days later the Maester was buying some food on the market and everywhere the people were more tense and seemed more nervous than he ever had noticed before. Rumors were whispered, everyone was careful to be silent whenever Goldcloaks were nearby, nothing was ever said aloud.
Everyone seemed more afraid than ever to be overheard by people that might tell the official Law. The Maester wondered if anyone right now even know for sure who presents the official Law . Everywhere people were disappearing and that left the population confused and fearful.
The most lasting rumors were about the ending of the tortured-to-death Grandmaester Pycelle and that the Hand, Lord Lannister, had been brought into the Black Cells on command of the King by the Kingsguards themselves. The Maester was stopped in his musing by a Goldcloak Officer. It was the one who he had tended to because of deep scratchings. The Maester looked at the Goldcloak and saw more following the Officer.
"Maester Hother, on command of the King, i have order to bring you to the Red Keep. You'll have to follow me now."
The Maester looked annoyed to the Officer and then started to bundle up his purchases but was stopped of doing so by the Goldcloak.
"Maester, the command was meant to be followed immediately. Leave whatever you have bought here in the market, you are not allowed to bring it back to your abode first."
The Maester left his purchasees reluctantly at the marketstand of the elderly poultry merchant, who guaranteed to watch over it, and then followed the Goldcloak to the Red Keep. He asked the Officer about the reasons for the summoning but got no answer. He really missed the Citadel right then and even more his home. Damned King and his commands and Paranoia, making it so hard for everyone to follow summonings without being fearful of disappearing themselves. If it was true what the rumors told and even the Hand of the King was not safe from being brought to the Black Cells, who knew what could and would happen to everyone else.
Everyone seemed more afraid than ever to be overheard by people that might tell the official Law. The Maester wondered if anyone right now even know for sure who presents the official Law . Everywhere people were disappearing and that left the population confused and fearful.
The most lasting rumors were about the ending of the tortured-to-death Grandmaester Pycelle and that the Hand, Lord Lannister, had been brought into the Black Cells on command of the King by the Kingsguards themselves. The Maester was stopped in his musing by a Goldcloak Officer. It was the one who he had tended to because of deep scratchings. The Maester looked at the Goldcloak and saw more following the Officer.
"Maester Hother, on command of the King, i have order to bring you to the Red Keep. You'll have to follow me now."
The Maester looked annoyed to the Officer and then started to bundle up his purchases but was stopped of doing so by the Goldcloak.
"Maester, the command was meant to be followed immediately. Leave whatever you have bought here in the market, you are not allowed to bring it back to your abode first."
The Maester left his purchasees reluctantly at the marketstand of the elderly poultry merchant, who guaranteed to watch over it, and then followed the Goldcloak to the Red Keep. He asked the Officer about the reasons for the summoning but got no answer. He really missed the Citadel right then and even more his home. Damned King and his commands and Paranoia, making it so hard for everyone to follow summonings without being fearful of disappearing themselves. If it was true what the rumors told and even the Hand of the King was not safe from being brought to the Black Cells, who knew what could and would happen to everyone else.
3. Meeting Aerys and the Mistress
The Goldcloak Officer was silent the whole time while he and his people led Maester Hother up to the Red Keep. When they arrived in the first courtyard, a Kingsguard stepped out of the nearest building and stopped in front of the group. It was a tall Knight, clearly used to be seen as an intimidating and terrifying person of respect. The Maester snorted though.
This Knight was not as tall as his own nephew, back at home and not as terrifying as some of the wildlings that he fought back at home as a boy.
The Goldcloaks though, they were intimidated by this White Knight. Maester Hother could not see the face but he knew that the tallest Knight of the Kingsguard was the "White Bull", Ser Gerold Hightower, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
This White Knight now talked with the Goldcloak Officer and after a few spoken words, the group of Goldcloaks bowed and left the courtyard. Hother was alone with the White Knight, or as alone as one could be in a courtyard of the Red Keep.
For a short while neither the White Bull nor the Maester spoke a word, both just examined each other and then the Kingsguard nodded and bid Maester Hother to follow him.
They went through the first courtyard and turned left into a building which opened into another courtyard and then from there they stepped into a heavily secured building. In this building, the Kingsguard led the Maester to a staircase build from black stone and down they both went. Finally the White Bull stopped in front of a heavy door and the two Guards standing in front of it opened the door and let the Knight and the Maester enter.
Inside, sitting on silver wrought chair, was the King, enjoying the view and the sounds of a tortured creature. Maester Hother was brought forward by the Kingsguard and then forced to stop by the Kings side and then to sink on his knees in front of Aerys the Second of his name. The King not even acknowledged him at first, too enraptured by the blood trailing lazily down the back of a horrible disfigured thing that might have been once a human being. Now it was just a barely breathing and bleeding piece of tortured flesh and bones. The Kingsguard, still standing behind the kneeling Hother, coughed two times and Aerys Targayen finally turned his glittering purple eyes away from the bloody spectacle. He tilted his Silverhaired head slightly and the famous Targayen eyes shone with cruel pleasure.
"You are the Maester ...the Maester that i heard about....the one that once treated a thorn apart Officer to be able to honor his service to me and a few days ago you treated another Officer for wounds he received in his face when he brought the murderess of my son to me!"
"Yes your Grace, though the last Officer had only minor wounds."
King Aerys looked now fully to Maester Hother and than gave a sign for him to stand.
"Go to her, this thing here is the murderess of my son, treat her and make her stay alive some more days, she tells so many things that i still want to hear. She is not allowed to die like her family, she stole my semen and poisoned my second heir and so she will die only when I say so. If she does it earlier than by my word, you will die the same way."
He smirked cruely while he said those words. The King stood up after this and he and the Kingsguard stepped to the door.
"Your Grace, without any kind of medical instruments and bandages and medicines, how should i help her stay alive?"
King Aerys turned his head back to the Maester, starred at him for a short time and then gave the order to his Kingsguard to bring all that the Maester needed but to control it before handing it over. They left.
The doors slamned shut behind them and metal jarring was to hear.
Hother was alone with the poor tortured girl. He walked over to her and looked into what once was a beautiful face. There was nothing left of it. Her bottom lip was shredded and her upper lip was cut in two parts. Her teeth had been shattered and her cheeks were badly burned as was her whole top of the head. Every bit of hair on her head was burned away. She was hanging by her arms, both of which looked like they were pulled out of the sockets and at least broken once. Her knees, her whole legs were shattered and her naked body had been whipped so often that long stripes of bloodied and shredded skin hung from her.
Maester Hother looked carefully back to the door and after he was sure that nobody had opened it and that there was no spyhole, he lifted the left part of his Robe and opened a small leather pouch that was bound to his thigh. He pulled out two tiny bottles, tugged the strings of the pouch so that it was closed again and rightend his Robes. The Maester opened the first tiny bottle and carefully and as gently as possible tilted back the head of the barely lucid girl.
"Can you still swallow fluids and keep them? I have something for the pain, it works really fast and it will numb all your hurtings, it is all that i can do right now to help you."
The girl nodded slightly and opened up her ruined mouth. Maester Hother tipped the bottle carefully so that she not choked.
Afterwards he gently helped to put her head back and to swallow all down. He opened up the second bottle and repeated all. She was breathing heavily but calmer than before. Hother looked around in the room and found some loose stones in the wall near the girl. He pulled one out and used it to ground the two tiny bottles to shreds and stopped only when they looked like dust. Carefully he put back the stone into the wall and looked over to the girl.
Her head was lifted slightly up and her bloodshot eyes looked at him with curiosity, though there was still pain to see in them.
"What did you gave me, i was in horrible pain before and now i feel nearly nothing."
She was hard to understand while saying this, because of her ruined lips and her shattered teeth. But Maester Hother only shook his head as answer, lifted one finger to his lips and she understood and started her sounds of pain again but now they were not really true anymore and only infrequently to hear. She was more quiet when she opened her mouth to speak again though. She asked the Maester if he had seen the dead Grandmaester or the Lord Hand but since Hother had not seen them but was brought immediately to her upon arrival in the Red Keep, he said so. She managed a horrible looking smile with her ruined mouth, the burned away skin of her face and her head looked strechted and started slightly bleeding because of the movements. And so she told the Maester of her revenge on those that had tried to use her and her family, the Grandmaester who forced her younger sister into sleeping with him and Lord Lannister that had forced her indebted father to bring her to the Red Keep in the first place, so that she could become Mistress to the King and Aerys Targayen would be distracted enough that the Lord Hand could reign without the interference of the King. A method he had already used before.
She told nearly gleefully of the torture of Grandmaester Pycelle, who screamed and screeched so loud that everyone was thankful when he finally died.
Of the whippings of the Lord Hand that the King told her about. Of how the King loved to tell how he would torture Tywin Lannister next, while he watched her being stripped of her skin through the whippings.
Maester Hother, all the while that he was listening to the gruesome words, wondered when his medicine and other things of treatment would finally arrive. He would have to ask for the tortured girl to be relieved of her shackles so that he could treat her for real and make her survive for as long as the King would be wanting it. Hother felt sorry for the girl but he would keep her alive, though stoked on painkillers, even if death would be a mercy, for he wanted to keep his own life.
Finally, hard metal jarring was to hear and the door opened again.
This Knight was not as tall as his own nephew, back at home and not as terrifying as some of the wildlings that he fought back at home as a boy.
The Goldcloaks though, they were intimidated by this White Knight. Maester Hother could not see the face but he knew that the tallest Knight of the Kingsguard was the "White Bull", Ser Gerold Hightower, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
This White Knight now talked with the Goldcloak Officer and after a few spoken words, the group of Goldcloaks bowed and left the courtyard. Hother was alone with the White Knight, or as alone as one could be in a courtyard of the Red Keep.
For a short while neither the White Bull nor the Maester spoke a word, both just examined each other and then the Kingsguard nodded and bid Maester Hother to follow him.
They went through the first courtyard and turned left into a building which opened into another courtyard and then from there they stepped into a heavily secured building. In this building, the Kingsguard led the Maester to a staircase build from black stone and down they both went. Finally the White Bull stopped in front of a heavy door and the two Guards standing in front of it opened the door and let the Knight and the Maester enter.
Inside, sitting on silver wrought chair, was the King, enjoying the view and the sounds of a tortured creature. Maester Hother was brought forward by the Kingsguard and then forced to stop by the Kings side and then to sink on his knees in front of Aerys the Second of his name. The King not even acknowledged him at first, too enraptured by the blood trailing lazily down the back of a horrible disfigured thing that might have been once a human being. Now it was just a barely breathing and bleeding piece of tortured flesh and bones. The Kingsguard, still standing behind the kneeling Hother, coughed two times and Aerys Targayen finally turned his glittering purple eyes away from the bloody spectacle. He tilted his Silverhaired head slightly and the famous Targayen eyes shone with cruel pleasure.
"You are the Maester ...the Maester that i heard about....the one that once treated a thorn apart Officer to be able to honor his service to me and a few days ago you treated another Officer for wounds he received in his face when he brought the murderess of my son to me!"
"Yes your Grace, though the last Officer had only minor wounds."
King Aerys looked now fully to Maester Hother and than gave a sign for him to stand.
"Go to her, this thing here is the murderess of my son, treat her and make her stay alive some more days, she tells so many things that i still want to hear. She is not allowed to die like her family, she stole my semen and poisoned my second heir and so she will die only when I say so. If she does it earlier than by my word, you will die the same way."
He smirked cruely while he said those words. The King stood up after this and he and the Kingsguard stepped to the door.
"Your Grace, without any kind of medical instruments and bandages and medicines, how should i help her stay alive?"
King Aerys turned his head back to the Maester, starred at him for a short time and then gave the order to his Kingsguard to bring all that the Maester needed but to control it before handing it over. They left.
The doors slamned shut behind them and metal jarring was to hear.
Hother was alone with the poor tortured girl. He walked over to her and looked into what once was a beautiful face. There was nothing left of it. Her bottom lip was shredded and her upper lip was cut in two parts. Her teeth had been shattered and her cheeks were badly burned as was her whole top of the head. Every bit of hair on her head was burned away. She was hanging by her arms, both of which looked like they were pulled out of the sockets and at least broken once. Her knees, her whole legs were shattered and her naked body had been whipped so often that long stripes of bloodied and shredded skin hung from her.
Maester Hother looked carefully back to the door and after he was sure that nobody had opened it and that there was no spyhole, he lifted the left part of his Robe and opened a small leather pouch that was bound to his thigh. He pulled out two tiny bottles, tugged the strings of the pouch so that it was closed again and rightend his Robes. The Maester opened the first tiny bottle and carefully and as gently as possible tilted back the head of the barely lucid girl.
"Can you still swallow fluids and keep them? I have something for the pain, it works really fast and it will numb all your hurtings, it is all that i can do right now to help you."
The girl nodded slightly and opened up her ruined mouth. Maester Hother tipped the bottle carefully so that she not choked.
Afterwards he gently helped to put her head back and to swallow all down. He opened up the second bottle and repeated all. She was breathing heavily but calmer than before. Hother looked around in the room and found some loose stones in the wall near the girl. He pulled one out and used it to ground the two tiny bottles to shreds and stopped only when they looked like dust. Carefully he put back the stone into the wall and looked over to the girl.
Her head was lifted slightly up and her bloodshot eyes looked at him with curiosity, though there was still pain to see in them.
"What did you gave me, i was in horrible pain before and now i feel nearly nothing."
She was hard to understand while saying this, because of her ruined lips and her shattered teeth. But Maester Hother only shook his head as answer, lifted one finger to his lips and she understood and started her sounds of pain again but now they were not really true anymore and only infrequently to hear. She was more quiet when she opened her mouth to speak again though. She asked the Maester if he had seen the dead Grandmaester or the Lord Hand but since Hother had not seen them but was brought immediately to her upon arrival in the Red Keep, he said so. She managed a horrible looking smile with her ruined mouth, the burned away skin of her face and her head looked strechted and started slightly bleeding because of the movements. And so she told the Maester of her revenge on those that had tried to use her and her family, the Grandmaester who forced her younger sister into sleeping with him and Lord Lannister that had forced her indebted father to bring her to the Red Keep in the first place, so that she could become Mistress to the King and Aerys Targayen would be distracted enough that the Lord Hand could reign without the interference of the King. A method he had already used before.
She told nearly gleefully of the torture of Grandmaester Pycelle, who screamed and screeched so loud that everyone was thankful when he finally died.
Of the whippings of the Lord Hand that the King told her about. Of how the King loved to tell how he would torture Tywin Lannister next, while he watched her being stripped of her skin through the whippings.
Maester Hother, all the while that he was listening to the gruesome words, wondered when his medicine and other things of treatment would finally arrive. He would have to ask for the tortured girl to be relieved of her shackles so that he could treat her for real and make her survive for as long as the King would be wanting it. Hother felt sorry for the girl but he would keep her alive, though stoked on painkillers, even if death would be a mercy, for he wanted to keep his own life.
Finally, hard metal jarring was to hear and the door opened again.
4. A King dies
Finally hard jarring was to hear and the door opened again. Screams came from outside of the room and a different Knight of the Kingguard was nearly running inside. He stopped in front of Hother, his white Armor and cape and also his face, for he wasn't wearing a helmet, were splattered with fresh blood and he looked clearly panicked.
The Knight didn't bother to introduce himself but was shouting instead to Maester Hother that he had to follow immediately. He was not even waiting for an answer but instead grabbed the Maesters left arm and tugged him out of the torture room of the poor girl, forced Hother into a short run and down another couple of stairs. A couple of servants came running behind them and from around the corner screams were to hear and then the Maester was shoved into the first room around this corner and it was even more like a horrible nightmare than the one in which the girl was.
The two servants behind Hother and the Kingsguard had been carrying great amounts of linen cloth and now that the Maester was inside of this room, he could see why.
Tywin Lannister was hanging in the middle of the highceiled room. His legs were bound in irons which hung from the ceiling, so that his body was dangling upside down. He was as naked as the girl in the first cell and while he was bleeding heavily, the small pool of blood under him gave witness that he already had for some time now, he was also shouting, snarling through bloodied lips, his teeth looked blooded too and he didn't even looked as afraid as he should, given his horrible position right now. His arms were unbound and thus it seems that he managed to actually hit back when his captors had inflicting pain upon him.
The maester looked away from the still swinging and struggling Lord and instead looked over to the other people in the room.
Besides the Lion Lord and Hother himself, there was the bloodspattered Knight that brought him, two roughlooking but also clearly afraid and horrified men dressed in simple and bloodspattered clothes themselves, the two nervous servants that were carrying the linen cloth, now kneeling in one corner with the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard himself. All three desperately tried to stop the bloodflow coming from the last person in this room. King Aerys cried and screeched horribly, while his struggles grew weaker and weaker.
The Kingsguard Knight behind Hother shoved him hard over to where the King was laying and when the Maester was kneeling down, he could already see that there was little Chance to save the Targaryens life. His throat was torn wide open, his always light-colored skin was deathly pale from bloodloss and all the many hands already trying to hold his neck close were useless. Before Hother could even say one word or do anything to help, the King opened his already huge and panicked eyes even more, struggled one last time and then stopped moving completely.
Aerys Targaryen the second of his name, was dead.
The Knight didn't bother to introduce himself but was shouting instead to Maester Hother that he had to follow immediately. He was not even waiting for an answer but instead grabbed the Maesters left arm and tugged him out of the torture room of the poor girl, forced Hother into a short run and down another couple of stairs. A couple of servants came running behind them and from around the corner screams were to hear and then the Maester was shoved into the first room around this corner and it was even more like a horrible nightmare than the one in which the girl was.
The two servants behind Hother and the Kingsguard had been carrying great amounts of linen cloth and now that the Maester was inside of this room, he could see why.
Tywin Lannister was hanging in the middle of the highceiled room. His legs were bound in irons which hung from the ceiling, so that his body was dangling upside down. He was as naked as the girl in the first cell and while he was bleeding heavily, the small pool of blood under him gave witness that he already had for some time now, he was also shouting, snarling through bloodied lips, his teeth looked blooded too and he didn't even looked as afraid as he should, given his horrible position right now. His arms were unbound and thus it seems that he managed to actually hit back when his captors had inflicting pain upon him.
The maester looked away from the still swinging and struggling Lord and instead looked over to the other people in the room.
Besides the Lion Lord and Hother himself, there was the bloodspattered Knight that brought him, two roughlooking but also clearly afraid and horrified men dressed in simple and bloodspattered clothes themselves, the two nervous servants that were carrying the linen cloth, now kneeling in one corner with the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard himself. All three desperately tried to stop the bloodflow coming from the last person in this room. King Aerys cried and screeched horribly, while his struggles grew weaker and weaker.
The Kingsguard Knight behind Hother shoved him hard over to where the King was laying and when the Maester was kneeling down, he could already see that there was little Chance to save the Targaryens life. His throat was torn wide open, his always light-colored skin was deathly pale from bloodloss and all the many hands already trying to hold his neck close were useless. Before Hother could even say one word or do anything to help, the King opened his already huge and panicked eyes even more, struggled one last time and then stopped moving completely.
Aerys Targaryen the second of his name, was dead.
5.Ser Gerold and the tortured Lion
Aerys Targaryen the second of his name was dead!
None of the people kneeling around the bloody and lifeless King said any word after the screams of said King had finally stopped but there was no silence anyhow because the upside down turned Lord Lannister was still snarling and shouting, no roaring his defiance while swinging wildly.
Slowly, his gaze still upon the dead King, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard stood up. He stretched himself to his full height, took off his bloodsoaked Cape and drabbed it carefully over the King's body. He turned around and stepped away, just three steps and then he was by the side of the tortured Lion, his gloved left fist grabbed brutally the throat of the downhanging Lord Lannister. Tywin Lannister was not able anymore to snarl and roar his defiance, for now he was busy gasping for air. Both of his hands came up and desperately tried to loosen the grip of the White Knights fist around his neck but the Lord Commander was not letting go.
The other Kingsguard moved to stand by the side of his fellow Knight and spoke.
"Lord Commander, it is too late for us now to handle the murderer of King Aerys. Our new King will have to decide how this traitor should pay for his Crime. For now we should at first see to it that the body of His Grace is brought from this dirty cell and is cleaned and is handled honorable."
The Lord Commander Hightower was still squeezing the Lannister's neck but slowly his grip became lighter and finally he opened his fist fully and stepped away from the now barely even more lucid Tywin Lannister.
The White Bull gave order to the two roughlooking men, both standing a little bit further back, to quickly bring a stretcher for the Royal corpse and the men left the room immediately.
The two still kneeling servants were carefully bedding the corpse of Aerys into the linen cloths and Hother was scrambled to stand up in the meantime. He always hated kneeling. His eyes carefully went over to the tortured Lion.
The two Kingsguard Knights were quietly talking with each other and seemed to have come to a agreement for both were nodding to each other. The roughlooking men came back into the cell, bringing a stretcher with them and setting it down near the Royal corpse. Carefully they, together with the servants laid down the dead Kings body on the stretcher, stood up and then carried the Aerys Targaryen out of the room. The Kingsguards followed them outside and the Lord Commander stopped then, barely outside of the door and his head turned back to the Maester.
"Maester you will see to it that the murderer of the King does not die until the new King is ready to judge this traitor. A servant will bring you all of the things that you require." After he said that, he turned away and followed the bier while the other Kingsguard closed the door.
Maester Hother was now alone with Tywin Lannister. The Lion Lord had finally stopped his desperate gasping for air and was breathing as calmly and deeply as he could in his current position and as his tortured body allowed.
Hother was looking around for anything to change the position of the hanging Lord, so that he may breath easier and it would be possible to treat the wounds, at least some of them.
He was interrupted by the opening of the door. Two servants stepped inside, carrying a small table between them and one was also carrying a small bundle hanging from his shoulder. Without saying anything these servants brought down the table to where Lord Tywin was hanging, tugged part of the free upper body of the Lannister Lord onto it, all the while ignoring the now only weak struggling and then turned to Maester Hother. The one wearing the bundle shoved it into the Maesters hands and then both servants left the room, without ever having muttered even one word. The door closed behind them.
Hother stepped to Tywin Lannisters side and looked down. The golden Lion Lord was not golden anymore but bloodied and whipped, bruised and humiliated but he still managed to look slightly arrogant and though he was surely in a lot of pain, he also did not look broken. If Hother had to describe the Lord right now, he would have to say that, even though he showed clearly the signs of pain, he also looked satisfied, like a Lion who was licking his muzzle after a successful hunt.
None of the people kneeling around the bloody and lifeless King said any word after the screams of said King had finally stopped but there was no silence anyhow because the upside down turned Lord Lannister was still snarling and shouting, no roaring his defiance while swinging wildly.
Slowly, his gaze still upon the dead King, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard stood up. He stretched himself to his full height, took off his bloodsoaked Cape and drabbed it carefully over the King's body. He turned around and stepped away, just three steps and then he was by the side of the tortured Lion, his gloved left fist grabbed brutally the throat of the downhanging Lord Lannister. Tywin Lannister was not able anymore to snarl and roar his defiance, for now he was busy gasping for air. Both of his hands came up and desperately tried to loosen the grip of the White Knights fist around his neck but the Lord Commander was not letting go.
The other Kingsguard moved to stand by the side of his fellow Knight and spoke.
"Lord Commander, it is too late for us now to handle the murderer of King Aerys. Our new King will have to decide how this traitor should pay for his Crime. For now we should at first see to it that the body of His Grace is brought from this dirty cell and is cleaned and is handled honorable."
The Lord Commander Hightower was still squeezing the Lannister's neck but slowly his grip became lighter and finally he opened his fist fully and stepped away from the now barely even more lucid Tywin Lannister.
The White Bull gave order to the two roughlooking men, both standing a little bit further back, to quickly bring a stretcher for the Royal corpse and the men left the room immediately.
The two still kneeling servants were carefully bedding the corpse of Aerys into the linen cloths and Hother was scrambled to stand up in the meantime. He always hated kneeling. His eyes carefully went over to the tortured Lion.
The two Kingsguard Knights were quietly talking with each other and seemed to have come to a agreement for both were nodding to each other. The roughlooking men came back into the cell, bringing a stretcher with them and setting it down near the Royal corpse. Carefully they, together with the servants laid down the dead Kings body on the stretcher, stood up and then carried the Aerys Targaryen out of the room. The Kingsguards followed them outside and the Lord Commander stopped then, barely outside of the door and his head turned back to the Maester.
"Maester you will see to it that the murderer of the King does not die until the new King is ready to judge this traitor. A servant will bring you all of the things that you require." After he said that, he turned away and followed the bier while the other Kingsguard closed the door.
Maester Hother was now alone with Tywin Lannister. The Lion Lord had finally stopped his desperate gasping for air and was breathing as calmly and deeply as he could in his current position and as his tortured body allowed.
Hother was looking around for anything to change the position of the hanging Lord, so that he may breath easier and it would be possible to treat the wounds, at least some of them.
He was interrupted by the opening of the door. Two servants stepped inside, carrying a small table between them and one was also carrying a small bundle hanging from his shoulder. Without saying anything these servants brought down the table to where Lord Tywin was hanging, tugged part of the free upper body of the Lannister Lord onto it, all the while ignoring the now only weak struggling and then turned to Maester Hother. The one wearing the bundle shoved it into the Maesters hands and then both servants left the room, without ever having muttered even one word. The door closed behind them.
Hother stepped to Tywin Lannisters side and looked down. The golden Lion Lord was not golden anymore but bloodied and whipped, bruised and humiliated but he still managed to look slightly arrogant and though he was surely in a lot of pain, he also did not look broken. If Hother had to describe the Lord right now, he would have to say that, even though he showed clearly the signs of pain, he also looked satisfied, like a Lion who was licking his muzzle after a successful hunt.
6. The Maester meets the Lion
"Lord Lannister, can you tell me where you are feeling the most pain, so that i will knew where to start?" Hother asked.
Tywin Lannister, the man that just a short time ago killed his King by tearing out his throat with his teeth, looked momentarily confused by that question. He shuddered a bit but then started to speak, his Voice hoarse.
" Help me to lay better on this damned table and then open the damned chains, so that my legs can be lowered. After that is done and only then, i might let you treat my wounds."
Trust the Lion to be proud and arrogantly commanding even in his current position, was Hother's first thought. But he was also impressed, this Lord was not one who would beg for anything it seems. The Maester went over to where the end of the chains were fastened on a couple of Iron Rings which were hanging from the Wall. They were secured with heavy locks and so there was no way to free the Lannister Lord.
Tywin looked frustrated when Hother told him that but only for a short moment. Then his arrogance slipped slightly away and he bid the maester to help him to arrange himself better on the table. Maester Hother opened the bundle he had received and found a few small pieces of cloth, surely meant to be used to wrap the wounds but they were much too small for Tywin Lannister had received way more injuries than at first could be seen. Non the less, the Maester carefully started to wipe of blood from the stomach and the chest with one of the small pieces of cloth, so that he could at least inspect the gashes there.
It was a frustrating work, a dry cloth was just not effective enough to clean the skin but there was nothing, not even one drop of Water to be found in this Cell that Hother could use for better cleaning. Lord Tywin seemed to force himself to stay silent through it, only sometimes he hissed nearly inaudible, mainly when Hother was wiping the flesh of his stomach clean. Finally enough of the blood and grime was gone from the skin so that the lacerations could be seen. The Maester was impressed that Lannister managed to stay so quite through all that, for there were numerous shallow but also deep gashes to be found on his belly and his chest. Maester Hother just wanted to start to cover the deeper ones with the bigger pieces of cloth when all of sudden the Lion Lord stopped his hands and started to speak.
"Don't bother with the front, they worked on my back thrice as much."
He looked angry for having to admit that detail but also seemed desperate enough to give up his prideful silence. Maester Hother was angry enough about receiving that particular information later than he should, that he shouted rather than speak quietly.
"Lord Lannister why didn't you say so when you were laid down on the table, this must have hurt badly with an torn open back and it makes all wounds there worse too."
The Lion Lord looked blankly into Hothers eyes, pressed his bloodied lips together, opened them again then and answered with annoyance clearly to hear.
" Do you really think Maester, that the two servants that laid me down on this table did not had precise orders of how to do so? I am meant to survive long enough to be judged by the dreamfilled and thus foolheaded boy that just became the new King on the Iron Throne, with my helpful assistance of course. But my survival unto the day of my trials won't be gentle on me, the Commander of the Kingsguard will see to that. I know him long enough to be assured of that fact."
Maester Hother snorted lightly while hearing that, yes that he could believe, the Hightower Knight certainly hadn't looked like someone that would forgive what he would see as an slight on his honor. And what bigger hit could there be on the honor of a Kingsguard than not be able to protect its King from being hurt or like now, from having torn his throat apart by a shackeld prisoner. Hother smirked lightly, he would have actually loved to see that moment with his own eyes but then he looked over to the door, made sure that it was closed and then tugged up again the left part of his long grey robe, opened the little pouch that was bound to his thigh and took out the last two tiny bottles that he kept there. The pouch was now empty but Hother closed it carefully non the less, he would need to refill his depot there and it was better to make sure that the pouch was tied securely to his leg. Then he corrected the folds of his robe and stepped even closer than before to the Lannisters side. The Maester opened both tiny bottles and bid the Lion Lord to swallow their content.
Tywin Lannister looked warily at the tiny bottles but didn't utter any protest when the first bottle touched his lips. He swallowed and repeated that also with the second one. A grimace that was likely his version of a smile was to see on his features while he asked Hother sardonically.
" And now Maester, what will happen? Did you poison me to quicken my end or did you do it to make it more painful?"
Hother answered with the same condescending tone in his Voice that Lord Lannister would need to wait for a moment, right now there were more important things to do, before he took the smallest piece of cloth, grabbed both tiny bottles with it and then went over to the nearest Wall to grind them to dust against the stones.
After he finished that, he went back to the man still laying on the table. Lord Tywin looked at him curiously like he had never seen anyone like him before.
Hother looked back without any visible emotion and then opened his mouth to ask. "Do you still feel much pain my Lord, for i now want to turn you onto your chest, so that i will be able to treat your back."
The Lannister Lord answered that he felt nearly nothing and then tried to help as much as he could with himself being turned around on his upper body while still being bound by his legs. Finally the Lion was laying on his belly and Hother could see his back. He grimaced, for while it did not looked as bad as that of the girl in the first cell, the Lion Lords one was bad enough.
It was impossible to count the gashes that were now bleeding again, opened up again by the effort of turning around. Some of the lacerations were so deep that the bones were showing.
In the end it didn't matter, Hother started to care to them and after a long time of careful but thorough cleaning, were the Lannister Lord thankfully stayed quiet, he bound them with his meagre stash of cloth. He was barely finished when the door opened.
Maester Hother looked to the now open door. The men standing there were not looking like Kingsguards nor like the Goldcloaks or any servants. The men that now came into the cell were wearing the colors of the Housegard of Lord Lannister.
Tywin Lannister, the man that just a short time ago killed his King by tearing out his throat with his teeth, looked momentarily confused by that question. He shuddered a bit but then started to speak, his Voice hoarse.
" Help me to lay better on this damned table and then open the damned chains, so that my legs can be lowered. After that is done and only then, i might let you treat my wounds."
Trust the Lion to be proud and arrogantly commanding even in his current position, was Hother's first thought. But he was also impressed, this Lord was not one who would beg for anything it seems. The Maester went over to where the end of the chains were fastened on a couple of Iron Rings which were hanging from the Wall. They were secured with heavy locks and so there was no way to free the Lannister Lord.
Tywin looked frustrated when Hother told him that but only for a short moment. Then his arrogance slipped slightly away and he bid the maester to help him to arrange himself better on the table. Maester Hother opened the bundle he had received and found a few small pieces of cloth, surely meant to be used to wrap the wounds but they were much too small for Tywin Lannister had received way more injuries than at first could be seen. Non the less, the Maester carefully started to wipe of blood from the stomach and the chest with one of the small pieces of cloth, so that he could at least inspect the gashes there.
It was a frustrating work, a dry cloth was just not effective enough to clean the skin but there was nothing, not even one drop of Water to be found in this Cell that Hother could use for better cleaning. Lord Tywin seemed to force himself to stay silent through it, only sometimes he hissed nearly inaudible, mainly when Hother was wiping the flesh of his stomach clean. Finally enough of the blood and grime was gone from the skin so that the lacerations could be seen. The Maester was impressed that Lannister managed to stay so quite through all that, for there were numerous shallow but also deep gashes to be found on his belly and his chest. Maester Hother just wanted to start to cover the deeper ones with the bigger pieces of cloth when all of sudden the Lion Lord stopped his hands and started to speak.
"Don't bother with the front, they worked on my back thrice as much."
He looked angry for having to admit that detail but also seemed desperate enough to give up his prideful silence. Maester Hother was angry enough about receiving that particular information later than he should, that he shouted rather than speak quietly.
"Lord Lannister why didn't you say so when you were laid down on the table, this must have hurt badly with an torn open back and it makes all wounds there worse too."
The Lion Lord looked blankly into Hothers eyes, pressed his bloodied lips together, opened them again then and answered with annoyance clearly to hear.
" Do you really think Maester, that the two servants that laid me down on this table did not had precise orders of how to do so? I am meant to survive long enough to be judged by the dreamfilled and thus foolheaded boy that just became the new King on the Iron Throne, with my helpful assistance of course. But my survival unto the day of my trials won't be gentle on me, the Commander of the Kingsguard will see to that. I know him long enough to be assured of that fact."
Maester Hother snorted lightly while hearing that, yes that he could believe, the Hightower Knight certainly hadn't looked like someone that would forgive what he would see as an slight on his honor. And what bigger hit could there be on the honor of a Kingsguard than not be able to protect its King from being hurt or like now, from having torn his throat apart by a shackeld prisoner. Hother smirked lightly, he would have actually loved to see that moment with his own eyes but then he looked over to the door, made sure that it was closed and then tugged up again the left part of his long grey robe, opened the little pouch that was bound to his thigh and took out the last two tiny bottles that he kept there. The pouch was now empty but Hother closed it carefully non the less, he would need to refill his depot there and it was better to make sure that the pouch was tied securely to his leg. Then he corrected the folds of his robe and stepped even closer than before to the Lannisters side. The Maester opened both tiny bottles and bid the Lion Lord to swallow their content.
Tywin Lannister looked warily at the tiny bottles but didn't utter any protest when the first bottle touched his lips. He swallowed and repeated that also with the second one. A grimace that was likely his version of a smile was to see on his features while he asked Hother sardonically.
" And now Maester, what will happen? Did you poison me to quicken my end or did you do it to make it more painful?"
Hother answered with the same condescending tone in his Voice that Lord Lannister would need to wait for a moment, right now there were more important things to do, before he took the smallest piece of cloth, grabbed both tiny bottles with it and then went over to the nearest Wall to grind them to dust against the stones.
After he finished that, he went back to the man still laying on the table. Lord Tywin looked at him curiously like he had never seen anyone like him before.
Hother looked back without any visible emotion and then opened his mouth to ask. "Do you still feel much pain my Lord, for i now want to turn you onto your chest, so that i will be able to treat your back."
The Lannister Lord answered that he felt nearly nothing and then tried to help as much as he could with himself being turned around on his upper body while still being bound by his legs. Finally the Lion was laying on his belly and Hother could see his back. He grimaced, for while it did not looked as bad as that of the girl in the first cell, the Lion Lords one was bad enough.
It was impossible to count the gashes that were now bleeding again, opened up again by the effort of turning around. Some of the lacerations were so deep that the bones were showing.
In the end it didn't matter, Hother started to care to them and after a long time of careful but thorough cleaning, were the Lannister Lord thankfully stayed quiet, he bound them with his meagre stash of cloth. He was barely finished when the door opened.
Maester Hother looked to the now open door. The men standing there were not looking like Kingsguards nor like the Goldcloaks or any servants. The men that now came into the cell were wearing the colors of the Housegard of Lord Lannister.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
The words 'lord' and 'king' and even 'maester' don't need to be capitalised. At least, not when using it as a noun. When used in someone's name it does. So
'The maester walked'
is non-capitalised, while
'and Maester Wilks wrote'
is capitalised. Same for lord, king, knight, etc.
'The maester walked'
is non-capitalised, while
'and Maester Wilks wrote'
is capitalised. Same for lord, king, knight, etc.
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